Striking White Hair

    July 2018 in “ JAMA dermatology ”
    Monica Rosales Santillan
    TLDR Poliosis causes white hair patches due to lack of melanin.
    Poliosis is a condition characterized by a patch of white hair with reduced or absent melanin, commonly found on the scalp and eyebrows. When it occurs on the scalp, it is known as a mallen streak, a term popularized by Catherine Cookson’s The Mallen Trilogy. This trait has been depicted in various films, often symbolizing malice or sin, such as in The Return of Doctor X, Bride of Frankenstein, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
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